Shopping cart collection, storage, and retrieval system

ABSTRACT

A self-guiding shopping cart collection, storage, and retrieval system is provided which is integrated into the parking lot construction. A collection channel is adjacent and parallel to a row of parking spaces which is formed as an inset trough configured to allow rolling translation of a shopping cart to a collection end. The collection channel has a generally planar floor and at least one inclined side bank with the floor being downwardly linearly inclined toward the collection end. Lateral feed channels intersect with the collection channel which are configured to allow rolling translation of a shopping cart from the parking lot into the collection channel. Thus, shopping carts from the parking lot are introduced into the lateral feed channels at the parking lot level and guided therethrough into the collection channel.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/771,858 filed Feb. 3, 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is related generally to the field of parking lot designretail establishments, and more particularly to a novel system for thecollection, storage and retrieval of shopping carts in a parking lot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is common practice in the art of merchandising for merchants toprovide parking lots in which their patrons can conveniently park theirautomobiles and to provide wheeled, wire-basket type push carts,commonly referred to as shopping carts. Customers can deposit theirpurchases in these shopping carts while in the store and then thepurchases can be transported, from the store, into the parking lot andto the customers' automobiles, for final transfer into theirautomobiles.

Large shopping centers which provide shopping carts for customer use canhave parking lots which cover many acres of land. In such situations,customers typically move carts from the store in which they have shoppedto their automobiles in the parking lot, and after they have transferredtheir purchased goods into their automobiles they generally simply leavethe cart abandoned in the parking lot. The abandoned shopping carts inthe parking lot are a nuisance, as they require the merchants to hirepersonnel to move about the parking lots, collect the carts and returnthem to the store for further use. These abandoned shopping carts alsocreate serious traffic hazards in the parking lots, cause a disturbancein movement of vehicles throughout the lot, and are frequently damagedby customers' automobiles, and in turn cause damage to the automobiles.Moreover, such abandoned carts are subject to theft.

It has been clearly established that in places where customers have beenencouraged to return carts to stores from adjacent parking facilities,and in those places where special facilities have been provided inparking areas to accommodate emptied carts, damage, theft and all otherinconveniences normally associated with the provision and use of suchcarts has been materially and noticeably reduced.

It has also been determined that if customers are encouraged to deposittheir empty carts in specially provided receivers located in parkinglots great economic savings and more effective and efficient use ofcarts can be achieved.

Systems have been proposed for encouraging the users themselves to bringback to a storage station. One example is a system in which a voucher isissued to the customer attesting the return of the cart which includes acoupon or benefit of some sort. Various other methods have been proposedto alleviate the shopping cart abandonment problem, but none have beensuccessfully employed. Accordingly, the only common method in use forprotection from random storage of shopping carts is providing personnelfor the continuous manual recovery of the carts from the lots.

A cart storage device which carts can be directed or stored is disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,697, invented by Savino. This patent discloses adevice, installed in parking lots or the like, consisting of upstandingrail guards within which carts can be directed or stored for recoverywhile being protected from damage by vehicles using the parking lot.

An apparatus for encouraging the restitution of shopping carts such asin a reception area otherwise controlled by wickets is disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 4,428,893 invented by Gillet. This patent discloses anapparatus having vertically hinged doors and dispenses a ticket or tokenwhen the proper cart is moved therethrough. This apparatus alsoidentifies unacceptable shopping carts, which are dissimilar to thosefor which the apparatus is designed.

Mueller teaches a cart conveyer and dispensing apparatus in U.S. Pat.No. 4,518,072. This invention is directed to an enclosed conveyor forpropelling a shopping cart therethrough. Shopping carts are propelled byengagement of their wheels by a continuous member that carries a crossbump or upwardly extending protrusion.

Thus, what is needed is a shopping cart retrieval system which, withoutinterfering with traffic flow, will facilitate retrieval of shoppingcarts from a parking area or the like, store carts, and can dispensethem when desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an objective of the invention to provide a novel means forproviding safe and efficient handling of carts.

It is another objective to provide a system for collection, storage andretrieval of shopping carts which is implement by providing a structureintegrated into the construction of the parking lot.

It is still another objective to provide a system for collection,storage and retrieval of shopping carts which allows the customer todeposit the cart at the location of the customer's vehicle, and whichdoes not require the customer to manually transport the cart to acentral collection station, and which thus encourages use of the systemby the customer.

It is yet a further objective of the invention to provide a system forcollection, storage and retrieval of shopping carts which isself-guiding.

It is still a further objective of the invention to provide a method forconstructing a structure from prefabricated components which provides asystem for collection, storage and retrieval of shopping.

In accordance with the above objectives, a self-guiding shopping cartcollection, storage, and retrieval system is provided which isintegrated into the parking lot construction. The parking lot includesat least one array of a plurality of demarcated parking spaces arrangedas a row withe each of the parking spaces having demarcation lines oneither side to define aisle ways between each of the parking spaces. Acollection channel adjacent to and parallel to the row is formed as aninset trough configured to allow rolling translation of a shopping cartalong the length of the row to a collection end. The collection channelhas a generally planar floor and at least one inclined side bank withthe floor being downwardly linearly inclined toward the collection end.A plurality of lateral feed channels aligned with each of the ailse waysintersect with the collection channel. Each lateral feed channel hasopposing side banks which are configured to allow rolling translation ofa shopping cart from the parking lot into the collection channel. Thelateral feed channels each have a linearly inclined floor with an upperend contiguous to the parking lot and a lower end contiguous to thefloor of the central channel whereby shopping carts from the parking lotcan be introduced into the lateral feed channels at the parking lotlevel and guided therethrough by the opposing side banks into thecollection channel. The collection end of the collection channelintersects with an oppositely sloping ramp whereby shopping carts in thecollection channel can be pushed up the ramp to the parking lot.

The lateral feed channels can be formed by providing a plurality ofbarrier units having a quadrilateral configuration which are flushlyadjoined to at least one of the opposing side banks of the collectionchannel. The barrier units are aligned with each of the plurality ofparking spaces. Each of the barrier units includes a front curb portionadjacent to the floor of the collection channel and opposing side curbportions aligned with the demarcation lines, whereby the barrier unitsdefine a plurality of lateral feed channels intersecting with thecollection channel and aligned with the aisle ways whereby shoppingcarts from the parking lot can be introduced into the lateral feedchannels and are guided therethrough by the opposing side banks into thecollection channel. The barrier units can be formed as a unitary piecefrom any suitable material, including concrete, rubber, plastic,recycled materials, wood, and metal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a system for collection, storage andretrieval of shopping carts according to a preferred embodiment of theinvention with shopping carts shown therein in phantom;

FIG. 2 is top plan view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment utilizingpre-fabricated components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Although the invention will be described in terms of a specificembodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this artthat various modifications, rearrangements, and substitutions can bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope ofthe invention is defined by the claims appended hereto.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a self-guiding shopping cartcollection, storage, and retrieval system according to a preferredembodiment of the invention. The system of the invention is implementedas a structure integrated into a parking lot construction, particularlya retail establishment parking lot where shopping carts are used. Theoverall arrangement can best be seen in the top plan view shown in FIG.2. The parking lot, generally designated as 5, includes the usual arrayof demarcated parking spaces. The system includes a plurality of parkingspaces 11 arranged as a row 17 which each include left and rightdemarcation lines 12,13 and a tire stop 14. The parking spaces 11 arespaced to define a plurality of aisle ways 16 therebetween. The aisleways 16 are preferably bordered by the demarcation lines 12 and 13 ofthe adjoining parking spaces 11, and are sized to allow a shopping cartof average dimensions to pass therethrough without contact to vehiclesparked in the parking spaces 11.

The system includes a collection channel 20 which is proximate to thetire stops 14. The collection channel 20 is adjacent and parallel atleast one the rows 17 of parking spaces 11. The collection channel 20 isformed as an inset trough in the parking lot 5 and is configured toallow the rolling translation of a shopping cart along the length of therow 17 to a collection end 22. FIG. 1 illustrates shopping carts 6 shownin phantom inside the collection channel 20. As can be seen in thecross-sectional views shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the collection channel 20has a generally planar floor 23 and at least one inclined side bank 24with the floor 23 being downwardly linearly inclined toward thecollection end 22. In the practice of the invention, the collectionchannel 20 is constructed of a rigid, weatherproof material which is setinto a substrate. The collection channel 20 can be constructed from thesame material as the parking lot surface, such as concrete or asphalt.Any other material of a suitable hardness and durability can also beused, such as plastic, metal, fiberglass, etc.

A plurality of downwardly inclined lateral feed channels 30 intersectwith the collection channel 20. The lateral feed channels 30 aredimensioned to receive forwardly rolling shopping carts and have anupper end 36 contiguous to the parking lot 5 and a lower end 38contiguous to the floor 23 of the collection channel 20. The lateralfeed channels 30 are aligned with the aisle ways 16 so that a shoppingcart can be pushed through the aisle ways 16 between parked vehicles anddirectly into the lateral feed channels 30. The lateral feed channels 30are configured to allow rolling translation of a shopping cart from theparking lot 5 into the collection channel 20. As shown in FIG. 4, eachof the lateral feed channels 30 have opposing side banks 32, 33 whichserve to maintain a shopping cart therein. Shopping carts from theparking lot can thus be introduced into the lateral feed channels 30 atthe parking lot level and are then guided therethrough by the opposingside banks 32, 33 into the collection channel 20. The lateral feedchannels 30 are preferably angled toward the collection end 22 so thatshopping carts in the lateral feed channels 30 are directed into thecollection channel 20 in a smooth uninterrupted fashion. The downwardlysloped floor 23 of the collection channel 20 then causes the shoppingcarts to roll toward the collection end 22. The collection channel 20can include side banks 27, 28 located between the aisle ways 16 to helpmaintain the alignment of the carts in the collection channel 20. Thecollection end 22 of the collection channel 20 includes an oppositelysloping ramp 41 which extends from the floor 23 to the level of theparking lot. The ramp 41 serves to halt the downward rolling of theshopping carts and also the shopping carts to be pushed up the ramp 41to the parking lot level so they can be retrieved.

The system of the invention in the foregoing description is depicted interms of a single row 17 which is adjacent a collection channel 20.However, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the system of the invention can beimplement using dual rows of parking spaces in a head to headarrangement which share the central collection channel 20. In thisarrangement, the lateral feed channels 30 of the respective sides can bestaggered to prevent collisions of the shopping carts within thechannels.

The above-described configuration can be constructed using any suitablemethods and materials to provide the collection channel 20, lateral feedchannels 30 and other inventive features described herein which arenecessary to practice the invention. In an alternative embodimentdepicted in FIG. 6, the system can be constructed using prefabricatedcomponents. In this embodiment, the collection channel 20 is constructedfirst to provide a base structure. The collection channel 20 isinitially in the form of a generally semi-trapezoidal trough with aplanar floor and opposing divergently inclined side banks (FIG. 5). Thelateral feed channels 30 can be defined by providing a plurality ofbarrier units 50 having a quadrilateral configuration which are flushlyadjoined to the opposing side banks of the collection channel 20. Thebarrier units 50 are aligned with each of the parking spaces 11 so thatthe lateral feed channels 30 thus defined are in alignment with theaisle ways 16. Each of the barrier units 50 includes a front curbportion 52 adjacent to the floor of the collection channel and opposingside curb portions 54, 55. The opposing side curb portions 54, 55 areapproximately aligned with the demarcation lines 12, 13 of the parkingspaces 11. In the preferred embodiment, the perimeters of the barrierunits 50 are configured as parallelograms to provide the angled lateralfeed channels 30.

The barrier units 50 can be formed from any suitable material, includingconcrete, rubber, plastic, recycled materials, wood, fiberglass, metal,etc. The barrier units 50 of the invention can be constructed in anynumber of configurations as may be desired dependent on the materialbeing used. For example, the barrier units 50 can either be solidthroughout or can have an open interior. The units 50 can be constructedto provide a central planar surface suitable for displaying indicia,such as retail logos or other advertising. Indicia can also bepermanently incorporated into the surface in high or low relief.

It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention isillustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangementof parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various changes may be made without departingfrom the scope of the invention and the invention is not to beconsidered limited to what is shown and described in the specificationand drawings.

1. In a parking lot, a self-guiding shopping cart collection, storage,and retrieval system, comprising: at least one array of a plurality ofdemarcated parking spaces arranged as a row having a length, whereineach of said parking spaces has demarcation lines on either sidedefining a plurality of aisle ways between said plurality of parkingspaces; a collection channel adjacent and parallel to said row formed asan inset trough configured to allow rolling translation of a shoppingcart along the length of the row to a collection end, said collectionchannel having a generally planar floor and at least one inclined sidebank wherein said floor is downwardly linearly inclined toward saidcollection end; and a plurality of lateral feed channels intersectingwith said collection channel and aligned with said aisle ways, saidplurality of lateral feed channels having said each having opposing sidebanks and configured to allow rolling translation of a shopping cartfrom the parking lot into said collection channel, said lateral feedchannels having a linearly inclined floor with an upper end contiguousto said parking lot and a lower end contiguous to said floor of saidcentral channel whereby shopping carts from the parking lot areintroduced into said lateral feed channels and guided therethrough bysaid opposing side banks into said collection channel.
 2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein said collection channel and said lateral feed channelsare formed from a rigid material inset into a substrate.
 3. The systemof claim 1, wherein said collection end of said collection channelincludes an oppositely sloping ramp intersecting with said floor of saidcollection channel whereby shopping carts in the collection channel canbe pushed up the ramp to the parking lot.
 4. In a parking lot, aself-guiding shopping cart collection, storage, and retrieval system,comprising: at least one array of a plurality of demarcated parkingspaces arranged as a row having a length, wherein each of said parkingspaces has demarcation lines on either side defining a plurality ofaisle ways between said plurality of parking spaces; a collectionchannel adjacent to said and parallel to said row formed as an insettrough configured to allow rolling translation of a shopping cart alongthe length of the row to a collection end, said collection channelhaving a generally planar floor and at least one linearly inclined sidebank having a lower edge contiguous to said floor of said collectionchannel and an upper edge contiguous to the parking lot wherein saidfloor is downwardly linearly inclined toward said collection end; and aplurality of barrier units having a quadrilateral configuration flushlyadjoined to at least one of said opposing side banks and aligned witheach of said plurality of parking spaces, each of said barrier unitsincluding a front curb portion adjacent to said floor of said collectionchannel and opposing side curb portions aligned with said demarcationlines, whereby said barrier units define a plurality of lateral feedchannels intersecting with said collection channel and aligned with saidaisle ways whereby shopping carts from the parking lot are introducedinto said lateral feed channels and guided therethrough by said opposingside banks into said collection channel.
 5. The system of claim 4,wherein said collection channel is formed from a rigid material insetinto a substrate.
 6. The system of claim 4, wherein said barriers areformed from concrete.
 7. The system of claim 4, wherein said barriersare formed from molded rubber.
 8. The system of claim 4, wherein saidbarriers are formed from molded plastic.
 9. The system of claim 4,wherein said barriers are formed from molded recycled materials.
 10. Thesystem of claim 4, wherein said barriers are formed from wood.
 11. Thesystem of claim 4, wherein said barriers are formed from metal.
 12. Thesystem of claim 4, wherein said collection end of said collectionchannel includes an oppositely sloping ramp intersecting with said floorof said collection channel whereby shopping carts in the collectionchannel can be pushed up the ramp to the parking lot.
 13. A method forproviding a self-guiding shopping cart collection, storage, andretrieval system in a parking lot, comprising: providing at least onearray of a plurality of demarcated parking spaces arranged as a rowhaving a length, wherein each of the parking spaces has demarcationlines on either side defining a plurality of aisle ways between theplurality of parking spaces; providing a collection channel adjacent toand parallel to the row formed as an inset trough of a rigid materialset into a substrate; the collection channel being configured to allowrolling translation of a shopping cart along the length of the row to acollection end, wherein the collection channel has a generally planarfloor and at least one linearly inclined side bank having a lower edgecontiguous to the floor of the collection channel and an upper edgecontiguous to the parking lot wherein the floor is downwardly linearlyinclined toward the collection end; attaching a plurality of barrierunits having a quadrilateral configuration to at least one of theopposing side banks wherein the barrier units are aligned with each ofthe plurality of parking spaces, each of the barrier units including afront curb portion adjacent to the floor of the collection channel andopposing side curb portions aligned with the demarcation lines; andproviding an oppositely sloping ramp whereby shopping carts in thecollection channel can be pushed up the ramp to the parking lot, wherebythe barrier units define a plurality of lateral feed channelsintersecting with the collection channel and aligned with the aisle wayswhereby shopping carts from the parking lot are introduced into thelateral feed channels and guided therethrough by the opposing side banksinto the collection channel.
 14. A method of claim 13, wherein saidbarriers are formed from concrete.
 15. A method of claim 13, whereinsaid barriers are formed from molded rubber.
 16. A method of claim 13,wherein said barriers are formed from molded plastic.
 17. A method ofclaim 13, wherein said barriers are formed from molded recycledmaterials.
 18. A method of claim 13, wherein said barriers are formedfrom wood.
 19. A method of claim 13, wherein said barriers are formedfrom metal.
 20. A method for collecting, storing, and retrievingshopping carts in a parking lot, comprising: providing at least oneshopping cart having a set of wheels for rolling translation; providingat least one array of a plurality of demarcated auto parking spacesarranged as a row having a length, wherein each of the parking spaceshas demarcation lines on either side defining a plurality of aisle waysbetween the plurality of parking spaces; providing a plurality ofbarrier units having a quadrilateral configuration aligned with each ofthe plurality of parking spaces, whereby the barrier units define aplurality of lateral feed channels intersecting with a collectionchannel; translating said at least one shopping cart adjacent to one ofsaid plurality of barrier units; providing said collection channeladjacent to and parallel to said row formed as an inset trough of arigid material set into a substrate; said collection channel beingconfigured to allow rolling translation of a shopping cart along thelength of the row to a collection end, wherein the collection channelhas a generally planar floor and at least one linearly inclined sidebank having a lower edge contiguous to the floor of the collectionchannel and an upper edge contiguous to the parking lot wherein thefloor is downwardly linearly inclined toward the collection end;introducing said at least one shopping cart into said collection channeland releasing said shopping cart for rolling translation toward saidcollection end of said collection channel; providing an oppositelysloping retrieval ramp connected to said collection channel; storingsaid at least one shopping cart between said collection channel and saidretrieval ramp; and retrieving said at least one shopping cart in thecollection channel by pushing said at least one shopping cart up saidretrieval ramp to the parking lot.